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Drugs, Tiered Profession, Lose Subluxation - National College President at FCLB

At the recent 2011 FCLB (Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards) Conference in Marco Island, FL, Dr. James Winterstein, President of National University of Health Sciences, gave the keynote speech where he plainly rejected the basic tenets of the chiropractic profession and suggested that real doctors give drugs and that the chiropractic profession should obtain prescription rights and follow the path of the osteopaths.

A video with excerpts of his talk is available on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao1u48w8T38 (or just click on the image above).

With the recently failed attempt of New Mexico to give chiropractors prescriptive rights, and the similar movements in states like Alabama, and North Carolina, it has become plainly evident that Dr. Winterstein is trying to force his agenda on the profession and drag us into the allopathic model.

In this video, Dr. Winterstein responds to the comparison of his direction for chiropractic by saying that some say, "If we go that way, we will go the way of the Osteopaths. Hey, that wouldn't be all bad, there's seventy thousand of them."  The question that begs to be asked is, what is the difference between Winterstein's distorted vision for chiropractic, and the osteopaths as they practice today?

Osteopaths can manipulate, and give medication. Their training is essentially medical in nature. This is clearly the direction Dr. Winterstein and others who prescribe (yes pun intended) to his thinking want chiropractic to go.

If you look online for the profession of Osteopathic medicine, you will find four core principles listed:

Osteopathic medical students take an oath to maintain and uphold the "core principles" of osteopathic medical philosophy. Revised in 1953, and again in 2002, the core principles are:

  • The body is a unit, and the person represents a combination of body, mind and spirit.
  • The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
  • Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
  • Rational treatment is based on an understanding of these principles: body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.

What is the difference between these core principles and Dr. Winterstein's view for where our profession needs to go? Essentially, if you devoid the profession of subluxation, which Winterstein advocates, then you are left with the same rationale for care as the osteopaths. This being the case, why have a separate chiropractic profession? Why not just become an Osteopath?

I have a suggestion for Dr. Winterstein that should help him achieve his goals. Since he is in favor of disassociation with subluxation, and he is in favor of tiering the profession, why not just go one step farther? National should offer additional training to all DCs who wish it, in order to complete a DO, (osteopathic) degree. National should stop offering any degrees related to chiropractic and become a school that offers osteopathic degrees. Other than a historic tie to the name of chiropractic, there is nothing resembling chiropractic that Dr. Winterstein, or National College professes or teaches.

So what's holding you back James? Are you enjoying your life long losing battle with the main stream of our profession? Why not just become that which you are heading for at full speed? I'm sure much of the profession would welcome your move in that direction, and out of chiropractic. Hell, if that's all it would take to stop you from mutating our profession I'd even help organize a fund raiser!

Immediate Action Needed Now on New Mexico!

Chiropractic is at a crossroad. The question before us is simple. Do we become second-class physicians with prescription rights, or do we continue to proudly profess our unique drugless contribution to a suffering humanity?

It is widely know throughout the chiropractic profession that there is a bill in the New Mexico legislature that will change chiropractic by giving prescription rights to chiropractors who take short, additional training. This bill, HB-127, has already passed the NM House, is now in committees in the NM Senate, and will shortly be on the Senate floor. The bill openly breaks with chiropractic's long standing unique offering as a drugless health profession and sends the profession into pharmaceuticals .

There are two arguments that rage with this development. The first of which has to do with the concepts of our profession. As one who is proud and confident in our unique service, I can not fathom ever wanting to degrade my service by including drugs. I therefore question why a small minority of those with the same license as I would want to take us in this direction. Are these individuals so insecure, so doubtful, and have such an inferiority complex that they feel they need drugs to raise their self esteem? To them I say go ahead, take all the drugs you want!  But go to an MD to get them!  Do not drag the entire chiropractic profession down your road to insignificance and eventual oblivion.

While I can rail on insufferably about what these few are trying to do to my beloved chiropractic, the more significant argument must be about the welfare of the public.  Some questions beg to be asked. Does the public really need fifty thousand more doctors who give drugs?  Is there a shortage of prescribers anywhere in the US?  Will the public really benefit by removing the only organized profession not under the thumb of the pharmaceutical industry? 

If we think in larger terms, we must recognize the fact that our society is the most medicated society in the history of the human race. Do we really need more drugs? Shouldn't we, as chiropractors, be doing everything we can to get people to a state where this blatant chemical dependency is no longer needed?  Wouldn't people be better off if they could express health without being on drugs?

There is no need for chiropractors to become prescribers. There has been no outcry, no study, no research, no demand, and no need for chiropractors to offer this service. The only reason for this to have moved the way it has is because a few lost souls within our profession believe that they will elevate their status and their pocket books by including this service into their practices. No only is this false, but the opposite will be the result.

So, at this critical juncture, your immediate action is needed. You must call and email the members of the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee IMMEDIATELY and tell them that you oppose this bill, HB-127. You must act, or chiropractic will surely perish.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is meeting this weekend as you read this. YOU MUST ACT NOW!

Your message can be short and sweet. Here is a sample email:

Dear Senator,

I want you to know that as a chiropractor I stand strongly opposed to HB-127. The public does not need another doctor with prescriptive rights.  Certainly, there is no shortage of professionals willing to provide medications.

Our society needs a profession that offers the choice of working toward health without the use of drugs. If this bill passes, the financial incentives provided by the pharmaceutical industry will surely eliminate that natural choice.

When medications are needed, they should be prescribed by those whose full training and attention is in that direction. The public welfare is not better served by issuing prescriptive rights to those in a profession that does not support such a practice, and whose training will surely be sub-par.

Please for the sake of the public good, say NO to HB 127.

Sincerely, Your Name, DC.